Chris has always been interested in art and also in nature. After completing an Art and Design course and working in graphic design for a while, she first began painting animals and landscapes in the late 1990s after moving to rural Leicestershire. These earlier works were mostly completed in acrylic, gouache or watercolour until the discovery of soft pastel through attending a workshop in 1999. Since then pastel has become Chris’s main medium due to its immediacy, rich pigments and textural qualities. Chris has sold work through numerous exhibitions as well as from various commissions. Local landscapes are a favourite subject, the inspiration for which comes from spending time outdoors, walking in the countryside around the village where she lives. As well as painting, Chris began a career in teaching adults in 2007 and has since completed teacher training to become fully qualified. Apart from teaching drawing and painting classes, she also specialises in teaching creative courses, such as arts and crafts, and music and drama, for adults with learning difficulties and disabilities.